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A Personal Perspective on Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
To understand whether or not it is ever right to “help” another person end their life we must first separate the fact that I have a physical condition – cerebral palsy – and whether this alone is a sufficient argument for others to pass a law that would make it legal for another person to end my life.
Three years ago I incurred an injury to my leg resulting in me having to go to the A & E department of my local hospital. One of my Personal Assistants (PAs) felt unsure how to stop the bleeding she called on one of my other PAs to accompany her to the hospital. Whilst waiting to be seen by the Doctor I overheard my PAs discussing whether one of them should fetch my night clothes. I felt out of control and very frightened because my experience of hospitals as a disabled person is far from good.
I have no family members who could advocate for me and this incident brought it home to me that I needed to set something in place if I ever ended up in hospital. I drew up a paper which gave clear instructions if the occasion ever arose where a doctor put over my bed “do not resuscitate” that unless I told them differently I wanted to be kept alive for as long as possible. I made all my Personal Assistants sign up to this. I also gave them the phone number of a friend who has been charged with the responsibility of making sure this happens in the event of me being unconscious.
Before I go any further whilst not wanting to dwell on it I do experience severe pain every day of my life. The aging process does not help cerebral palsy and everything becomes more difficult. However I know that this fact alone would never make me want to end my life. There are two important issues to consider here. The first is that our culture is encouraged in the tabloid press to see disabled people as tragic but brave not full and contributing members of society. Having spent the last 23 years campaigning for equal rights,, locally, nationally and in Europe and recently starting a social enterprise to support disabled people who employ their own staff. I feel I have been able to contribute in a positive way to support other disabled people. My second argument is that none of this would have been possible had I not an electric wheelchair, a computer, an adapted car and support from my Local Authority to employ my own Personal Assistants who enable me to take an equal part in society.
To sum up – being fully aware of the socio economic climate I live in, where disabled people are seen as inferior to non-disabled people, my fear is not that I might find my impairment so painful that I would want to be helped to die but rather that in law I have no legal right to Independent Living and the support that enables me to contribute to society will be taken away.
Anne Pridmore
